


Sonny's Parents

by finishthedaydream



Category: In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: Comfort, Please protect my baby at all costs, Sonny's a precious bean, Usnavi's a great cousin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-09 01:00:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8869618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/finishthedaydream/pseuds/finishthedaydream
Summary: What ever happened to Sonny's parents?ORSonny comes to the bodega one day to ask Usnavi a question that the older cousin had been dreading answering.





	

Usnavi worked the register, doing his best to get the customer out of the store as quickly as possible. He knew how people hated to be kept waiting. He waved goodbye, smiling at the other man but frowning when he saw his little cousin walk in- late as usual.

“Sonny, you’re late again. I know school lets out at two thirty, you can’t roll in at four and think I don’t know,” Usnavi chided. He furrowed his brow as he didn’t get a comeback of some sort, crossing his arms. Sonny /always/ had something to say. But now Sonny was quiet and withdrawn, smaller than Usnavi had ever seen him. “Hey, primo, what’s wrong? You’re never quiet.” He asked.

Sonny chewed on the inside of his cheek, looking up at Usnavi. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes before rushing out his question. “What happened to my parents?”

Oh.

Usnavi looked down at his feet, trying to think of what to say. He knew this day was going to come, but he didn’t expect it when the little niño was still in high school. He hated that he’d have to tell his little cousin what had happened.

Sonny looked back up at Usnavi, sensing how uncomfortable he was. “It’s just.. Everyone was going around today, talkin’ about memories of their parents and stuff, and I realized I.. don’t even really got any, so.. I was just wonderin’, cuz, you don’t gotta answer it or nothing.” He rambled, shaking his head.

Usnavi sighed quietly, moving to the front of the bodega. He flipped the sign to closed and turned back to Sonny, chewing on his bottom lip. 

“C’mere. Sit down, Sonny.” He said gently, gesturing to a chair. Sonny nodded slightly, sitting down quickly and looking back up at Usnavi. 

Usnavi looked at his young cousin, sighing. He knelt down so that he could be at eye level with him, and he was suddenly taken back to all those years ago when his parents had taken in little Sonny. He breathed slowly, biting his lower lip as he tried his best to think of what to say.

“You know, when you were real little, you came to live with mi padres here in Washington Heights,” he started. Sonny nodded. Good, he was getting somewhere. “Well, you see.. You came here with them. You were still in your mama’s tummy, and you were born here. Your parents lived right upstairs from us, and so did you.” 

Sonny looked confused, but Usnavi carried on.

“You see.. Your padres didn’t come here legally, like mine did. Your parents came here as illegal immigrants. And one day, just.. Just a few days after you were born, immigration found them. And since you were born here, you, Sonny, are a citizen. Here.” He said. “And your parents, they.. They knew you would have a better life in America than in D.R. So they asked your tía and tío to take you in. And they did.” He finished quietly, looking at Sonny. 

Sonny was staring down at his lap, trying to process all of that information. He couldn’t understand. So his parents were alive? And no one told him. He looked back up at his big cousin, shaking his head. “You said they were dead.” He said softly.

 

Usnavi looked at Sonny, nodding. “Mijo, listen.” He said gently. “Things didn’t go so great for them in D.R. They didn’t have housing, they didn’t have money for food..” He said, trailing off. Sonny was a smart kid. He could put the pieces together.

 

Sonny nodded slowly in understanding, looking back down at his lap. “So that’s it? They just had to leave the country? And they just left me behind?” He asked, frustrated. Usnavi shook his head, holding onto his cousin’s hands tightly. 

“Sonny, no. They didn’t want you to have a terrible life, like they did in the Dominican Republic. They wanted you to go places, mijo, and you are going to go places. Just look at all you’ve done, you’ve never gotten below an A in any of your classes, you’re an amazing writer, and you’ve got so many plans for this barrio. You think you would achieve those goals if they had taken you with them?” He asked. “You’re going to be amazing, primo. And you’re going to do it all for tu padres. And they are going to be so proud of you, just like I am. And just like Abuela, and your tía and tío will be.” He promised gently. 

Sonny looked back up at his cousin after a moment, throwing his arms around his shoulders. Usnavi was surprised for a moment, but wrapped his arms around his waist tightly. “Thanks, Navi.” Sonny whispered softly, hugging him a little tighter.

Usnavi smiled, kissing Sonny’s temple gently. “Any time, Son.”


End file.
